Chapter 9 A promise and a threat #2
I wiggle and thrash against their hold, fueled by something much stronger than drugs. I’m so busy trying to escape I don’t hear someone else approaching.
I hear yelling for Emett to get in the car but it’s not my voice I register. It’s one I can’t immediately place.
Exton? What is he doing here?
I don’t even realize it’s happening until my arms feel free and a split second later, Aaron is clutching his nose with a pained cry as blood pours down, staining the soft, white snow with it.
“What the fuck is going on here?”
I suck in a sharp, icy breath. That frantic, borrowed heart of mine stops, because that’s not Exton standing in front of me like a shield, like a brick wall against a storm.
It’s Severin.
I should’ve known it was him because the air around me shifted. Just like it had on the lake earlier.
His broad back expanding furiously with each labored breath he takes. At his sides, his fists are clenched so tight, there’s no blood left in the tissue. And his eyes?
I don’t want to see his eyes. I don’t want to know what he’s thinking right now. I didn’t need him seeing me like this. I didn’t need him here. What is he doing here?
“Did you just break my nose, dumbass?”
“Not yet, but I’m one second away from fixing that,” Severin says. His words calm and controlled, but I can feel the volatile energy projecting from him with each syllable and breath.
“Who’s this knight in shining armor? A new boyfriend?” Aaron laughs like a hyena on crack, showing his yellow teeth stained red and wipes the blood from his nose on his sleeve.
“He’s not my boyfriend. And you need to leave.”
He ignores me. “Did you manage to trick another poor bastard? I hope this one doesn’t run away when he finds out you’re pregnant like the last one did.” He laughs some more as I clench my fists in a similar manner to Severin’s.
“Shut your mouth, Aaron,” I hiss, looking over my shoulder to make sure Emett is still by the car.
This is the one truth I’m keeping for a later time, and I have exactly zero plans to give him all the horrid details when he’s four years old.
“Ooo, my little sissy can say such words. And what if I don’t want to shut my mouth, hmm?
” Aaron asks like a petulant child, and then quickly backs up as something close to an animalistic growl leaves Severin’s mouth.
My brother’s eyes shoot to the man at my side, and whatever he sees must make him think twice about continuing.
“Fine, I can see you’re busy scoring another moneybag, sister dearest. I’ll come back some other time. Let’s get out of here, guys, it stinks with lies and betrayal.” Aaron pushes past me, checking my shoulder. “Bye, Rat,” he shouts to Emett, and my clenched fists start to shake.
I despise the way Aaron talks to my son, but now’s not the time to get into it. Not when his little feet are barreling through the snow as fast as they can carry him.
“Mommy!” I whip around as he shouts just before his arms circle around my legs, and I drop to the cold ground, wrapping my arms around his terrified body in a tight hug, my jeans getting wet from the snow.
I close my eyes, willing my frantic heart to calm down as I breath in his scent. “It’s okay, it’s all okay, honey.” I squeeze him harder.
“They were so scary!” he wheezes into my neck. “They were trying to hurt you!”
“It’s all that evil we talked about. Please, don’t ever come out of the car when Uncle Aaron is here. We talked about it,” I whisper, half paralyzed with fear of what-ifs.
Aaron hates my son just as much as he hates me, so I try to keep him away as much as possible. Usually, the money I give him t week would last at least a few next ones, but clearly, it’s not enough anymore.
Or he was bored and wanted to terrorize his favorite toys. Me and Dad.
Oh God…Dad! Betsy!
With Emett in my arms, I get up from the ground and rush into the house, barely suppressing the tears and anger as I take it in. Everything is trashed. Apart from that one broken window most of our plates and cups are shattered. A few of Emett’s stuffed toys are ripped apart.
Like the sick bastards he and his friends are, they threw my underwear all over the house. It’s everywhere. On the lamps and the TV. There are emptied out containers scattered on the counter. The containers that carried Dad’s medications I picked up just the other day.
That bastard knew it. He knew and decided to serve us what he calls his “justice.”
Ignoring the mess, I step over it. As bad as it is, I’ve dealt with far worse, and if I survived that, I’ll survive anything.
That thud sound I heard from the outside is much louder in here and steeling my nerves I rush into my father’s room to make sure Aaron wasn’t that far gone to do something truly horrendous.
But of course, he was.
Dad is strained against the bed, his arms and legs tied. There’s a small towel in his mouth as a gag. I should’ve left Emett to wait in the car. He shouldn’t see this. But it’s too late now.
Quickly, I set him down and rush toward my father, taking out the towel.
“Aurora,” he rasps.
“Shh, it’s okay, Daddy. He’s gone. They’re gone.”
“Who’s gone? What happened?” I close my eyes, taking a deep breath and silently berating myself that I’m happy he doesn’t know what’s going on. I shouldn’t be, it’s his disease that’s eating away at his brain, but I’d rather him not remember all the tortures his own son is putting him through.
Thud, thud, thud. I turn toward the closet where the sound keeps coming from and flinging the door open, I find Betsy also gagged and tied up.
“Oh God. He’s completely lost it.” I free her as fast as I can.
“Aurora! Thank God! Those assholes stole my phone as soon as I texted you and stuffed me in here!”
“I’m so sorry, Betsy! I’m so sorry! This shouldn’t have happened.” I know she deserves a thousand more apologies, but I turn around to free my dad from his restrains, only to find Emett’s small fingers already untying the knots around his grandpa’s wrists.
My heart gives another squeeze, and I wonder how much more it can take before it gives up as well.
Betsy and I silently join Emett and then she quickly makes sure he’s doing fine physically because we all know that mentally, none of us are fine.
“I’ll reimburse you for the phone,” I whisper quietly.
“Oh, stop with that,” she says, sternly. “You shouldn’t be responsible for Aaron’s mistakes. I’ll file a report.”
I sigh, “You know that won’t do anything.”
“Maybe not now, but eventually he needs to answer for all his crimes. Not you, Aurora.” She pins me with a look.
Betsy’s been with us for a while now. She’s a true godsend, and at this point she’s more like another aunt than nurse to this unconventional family I’ve created.
And I know what she’s saying is right…just like I know it won’t matter.
Not to Aaron. Because in his mind he’s already serving a death sentence.
Dad still looks a little disoriented as we get him settled back into his bed, and I leave Emett in there with Betsy so I can go clean up the rest of the house.
Only to let out a startled gasp as soon as I walk into the living room.
“Severin!” I clutch at my chest as I slouch against the nearest wall.
The large, looming goalie stands right smack in the middle of my dilapidated, trashed house. His hands still clenched tight at his sides and those piercing golden eyes I tried not to look into earlier are trailing over every inch of the space around me.
My cheeks warm when I catch his gaze on a black pair of my lace panties hanging off the chandelier and I rush to snatch them.
“What are you still doing here? Or rather, what are you doing here? Period,” I ask, not looking back at him as I run around, collecting every piece of my underwear.
I may not be looking at him, but I can feel his presence.
And it doesn’t belong here. His expensive clothes, the shoes that are worth a month’s rent on a decent place.
His perfectly sculpted face with that perfect scuff, or the sophisticated scent of his cologne with that warm undertone that sends a ripple of… something, down my body.
None of it except for the silent judgment that’s rolling off him in waves.
That, I’m more than familiar with from people like him.
“Did you call the police?” His deep voice that sounds more like thunder in the darkest skies, rumbles off the walls around me.
“No,” I say, clipped and short as my fingers snatch on piece after piece, stuffing my arms full.
“Why not?” Severin grits out, making that one-word sound as accusing as everything else he’s already said to me back on the lake.
I snort, shaking my head. “Thank you for helping me earlier, even though I didn’t ask for it, but I don’t owe you any explanations.
” I carry my undergarments into my room, hoping Severin takes a hint and leaves, but when I’m back he’s still there, in the same spot, with hands in his pockets, clutching something as he watches me.
I don’t have the time for this, so I grab a broomstick and start sweeping the broken glass and ceramics off the kitchen floor.
I’ve learned a long time ago that being nice in my own time doesn’t pay my bills or feeds my family. I’ve also learned to not care what others think of me.
Seconds stretched into minutes as the only sound in the room was the crunching from what used to be my pretty flower set of dishes I found at a local thrift store.
Everything I’ve heard about Severin Mineav doesn’t align with the man I met today. He’s been named the nicest one on the team. Everyone sings him praises and wants to be his best friend, yet somehow, I got the version no one else seems to know.
I wonder which is the real one, even though I think I already know the answer to it. The rich boys were always great at putting on a spectacular show for the world but it’s becoming clear he won’t let it go until I answer him.